Elementary and Special Education, M.Ed.

The Dual Program in Elementary Education and Special Education is designed for students who wish to teach in grades 1-6. The program will prepare you to teach students without disabilities and those with mild to moderate disabilities (also known as high incidence disabilities), such as attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, specific learning disability, emotional and behavioral disorders, and mild developmental disabilities, including autism.

The program stresses a humanistic approach to teaching that is both developmentally appropriate and intellectually challenging. It prepares the teacher to work with a diverse range of children by providing the teacher with knowledge about instructional practices, along with perspectives on children, schools, and society.

Prerequisite for the program is a bachelor's degree with an arts and sciences, interdisciplinary major, or the equivalent. No prior teaching licensure is required for admission.

Graduates of the program will be prepared to work as an elementary general education teacher, special education teacher or as a learning specialist who collaborates with families and other professionals.

The Programs of Study for the program includes foundation and professional courses, and practicum experiences. The program reflects current research and practices in teaching and learning.

Courses of study are carefully planned with the faculty advisor to ensure that both degree requirements and licensure requirements are fulfilled/

The program leads to eligibility for initial Massachusetts teaching licenses in Elementary Education and Mild/Moderate disabilities.

Graduate students participating in the Dual Elementary Education and Moderate Special Needs Program will learn to promote student development, how to teach for social justice, and how to reflect on practice to improve instruction. They will be prepared to work with students of a variety of backgrounds creating classroom environments that engage all students. More specifically:

The teacher candidate will promote the learning and growth of all students by providing high-quality and coherent instruction, designing and administering authentic and meaningful student assessments, using these assessments and reflections on teaching to improve instruction, providing students with constructive feedback on an ongoing basis, and continuously refining learning objectives.

The teacher candidate will use formal and informal assessments to plan instruction for students in ways that reduce bias, and to monitor learning progress.

The teacher candidate will promote the learning and growth of all students through instructional practices that establish high expectations, create a safe and effective classroom environment, demonstrate cultural proficiency, and knowledge about language challenges in academic settings.

The teacher candidate will learn how to plan individually-appropriate curriculum-through the IEP as well as in inclusive classroom settings.

The teacher candidate will promote the learning and growth of all students through ethical, culturally proficient, skilled, and collaborative practice.

The teacher candidate will demonstrate an inquiry stance by collecting and reporting data on pupil outcomes for the purpose of assessing, teaching, and modifying instructional practice.

The teacher candidate will work collaboratively with students and professional colleagues.

The teacher candidate will identify policies and practices that contribute to systemic inequities in education and be aware of how his or her own background experiences are influenced by these systems, and recognizes a professional responsibility to promote and practice principles of social justice teaching.

Financial Assistance

Education should level the playing field – we feel the same way about financial aid.

The Lynch School of Education provides more than $7.5 million in financial aid to students each year. As a result, the quality of BC’s instruction, the benefit of our alumni network, and the impact a BC degree will have on your employment options is both affordable and invaluable. Here’s why:

Online Application

Résumé

To be uploaded to your online Application Form

In addition to your academic history and relevant work experience, please include any licenses currently held, any social justice-related experience, any language skills other than English, and any research experience or publications.

Personal Statement

To be uploaded to your online Application Form.

In 1,000-1,500 words, describe your academic and professional goals, any experience relevant to this program, and your future plans, expectations, and aspirations.

Letters of Recommendation

Identification of recommenders/instructions to recommenders are outlined in the online Application Form

Two letters of recommendation are required with at least one required from an academic source. Applicants may submit one additional recommendation of their choice.

Transcripts

Unofficial transcripts may be uploaded to your online Application Form for purposes of application review. However, official transcript(s) must also be submitted upon acceptance/matriculation. Both undergraduate and graduate transcripts are required.

Official transcripts should be sent to the following address:

Boston College, Lynch School of Education

Data Processing Center

P.O. Box 8027

Portsmouth, NH 03802

For FedEx or UPS shipments, please use this address:

Boston College, Lynch School of Education

Office of Graduate Admission, Financial Aid, and Student Services

Campion Hall 135

140 Commonwealth Avenue

Chestnut Hill, MA 02467

Standardized Tests

An unofficial score report may be uploaded to your online Application Form; however, an official score report – sent directly from ETS – must also be submitted upon acceptance/matriculation.

This program requires all applicants to have taken the GRE in a maximum of 5 years prior to application being submitted, regardless of previous academic coursework, previous degrees/credentials earned, and/or professional experience. No exceptions will be made.

The MAT may also be substituted for the GRE.

For more information about the GRE exam, including test dates and testing sites, visit https://www.ets.org/gre. Lynch School of Education GRE Code: 3218

Writing Sample

Not required.

International Students

An international applicant is defined as any person that requires a student visa in order to study in the United States. International applicants are eligible to apply to any graduate program in The Lynch School, provided they have successfully completed the equivalent of a United States bachelor degree and have the appropriate diplomas and/or satisfactory results on transcripts or leaving examinations from the country in which the degree was earned. International applicants must complete all program-specific application requirements as well as additional requirements outlined below.

Transcripts

Applicants that have completed a degree outside of the United States must have a course-by-course evaluation of their transcript(s) completed by an evaluation company approved by the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES). Click HERE for a complete list of NACES-approved evaluators. Submission of falsified documents is grounds for denial of admission or dismissal from the University.

English Proficiency

All applicants whose primary language is not English (or for whom English is not one of their primary languages) are required to submit proof of satisfactory English proficiency. At this time, the only acceptable forms of proof for English proficiency are the TOEFL and IELTS exams (certificates of completion from English-language schools are not currently accepted). Below are the minimum scores required.

TOEFL iBT = 100 minimum

IELTS – 7.0 minimum

An official score report must be sent directly from Educational Testing Services (TOEFL). TOEFL School Code: 3240.

Exemptions

Applicants that meet either of the criteria below do not need to submit proof of English proficiency.

Applicants who completed an undergraduate OR graduate degree from a regionally-accredited institution within the United States

Applicants who completed an undergraduate OR graduate degree at an institution outside of the United States where the language of instruction was English

Conditional Acceptance

The Lynch School offers Conditional Acceptance to applicants that fulfill all academic requirements for admission to and are accepted to the program, but whose level of English proficiency does not meet the minimum requirements. In these cases, admitted students will be granted conditional admission, but will have to retake the TOEFL or IELTS exam and submit an official score report that shows the minimum score has been met no later than six weeks prior to the start of the semester in which the student’s program will begin. If a student with conditional admission does not submit a passing TOEFL or IELTS score within the allotted time frame, he/she will be granted a deferral to start in a future semester, no later than one year from the original start term. Due to this policy, we strongly encourage international applicants to apply as early as possible in order to ensure that these conditions can be met.